Indian feast planned for British royal couple

Mumbai - The royal couple, who were staying at The Taj Mahal Palace hotel while they were in Mumbai, were served a mix of non-vegetarian and vegetarian authentic Indian delicacies.

Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who commenced their maiden visit to India from here on Sunday, got a whiff of 'desi' flavours and aromas as a lavish Indian feast was laid in front of them for dinner.
The royal couple, who were staying at The Taj Mahal Palace hotel while they were in Mumbai, were served a mix of non-vegetarian and vegetarian authentic Indian delicacies.
In the non-vegetarian menu, they had the options of ajwaini macchli (fish chunks marinated with hung yoghurt, charbroiled in tandoor), kundan kalia (boneless lamb cooked with spices and topped with gold varq) and shahi murg ka soyota (chicken morsels cooked in a rich saffron, cashew and corn-based gravy).
From the vegetarian section, they could opt for dal langarwali (black urad and channa dal cooked to perfection tempered with pure ghee) and paneer shahi korma (cottage cheese cooked with cashew and evaporated milk-a lakhnavi delicacy).
Other vegetarian delicacies included, subz gandheri kebab (blend of vegetables on a sugarcane stick, a specialty of Hyderabad), khumb makhana mattar (mushrooms, peas and fox nuts, cooked in rich tomato gravy), chhonka palak (spinach tempered with garlic, finished with dried fenugreek leaves).
As accompaniments, they were served awadhi gosht biryani, boondi and fresh mint raita, Indian crudités, cone papad, pickle, chutney and kachumber to be complemented with assorted mini Indian breads, Lucknowi vegetarian biryani (basmati rice and vegetables cooked together with panadanus extract).
With an aim to end the meal on a sweet note, dodha with rabdi, chhenna payesh and sharifa kulfi were planned as dessert.
The Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai was also the venue for a charity reception, which was attended by the royal couple.
The event was held collectively by three charity organisations-Magic Bus, Doorstep, and India's Childline-to generate funds to support vulnerable children across India.
The event was attended by celebrated names like Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Rishi Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
On their tour, the royal couple will also attend a lunch hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday, visit Kaziranga National Park in Assam, take a break for a trip to Bhutan, and return to Agra in Uttar Pradesh to view the Taj Mahal.

• India